No More Barriers

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

May 10th Sermon, Day 4

The moment Jesus died on the cross, something extraordinary happened in the temple - the thick curtain separating the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom. This wasn't just fabric ripping; it was God declaring that the barriers between Him and humanity were permanently removed. No more ceremonies, no more intermediaries, no more wondering if you're good enough to approach God.

Through Jesus, anyone can come boldly to the throne of grace. The person struggling with addiction can come. The one carrying shame can come. The skeptic with doubts can come. The weary and worn-out can come. There's no VIP section in God's presence - just open arms for anyone who approaches through Christ. This means you don't have to clean up your life before coming to God; you come to God to have your life cleaned up. You don't have to earn His attention; you already have it. The access Jesus provides isn't based on your performance but on His perfect sacrifice.

Bible Verse

"In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe." - Hebrews 1:1-3

Reflection Question

What barriers do you sometimes feel exist between you and God, and how does knowing about Jesus's complete access change that?

Quote

Because Jesus is greater than the tabernacle, anyone—you, me, anyone, ordinary people—can come boldly to a holy God.

Prayer

Thank You, Jesus, for removing every barrier between me and God. Help me approach Him with confidence, knowing I'm welcomed because of Your sacrifice.

Seeing God’s True Face

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

May 10th Sermon, Day 3

Have you ever wondered what God is really like? Is He angry, distant, or disappointed with humanity? Jesus answers these questions definitively. When we look at Jesus, we see God's true character displayed in living color.

In the Old Testament, the tabernacle could never show God's smile or reveal His compassionate tears. It couldn't demonstrate His gentle touch or His patient teaching. But Jesus could and did.

When Jesus welcomed children, that's what God is like. When He wept at Lazarus's tomb, that's God's heart breaking with ours. When He forgave the woman caught in adultery, that's God's grace in action. When He healed the sick and fed the hungry, that's God's compassion made visible. Every act of kindness, every word of comfort, every moment of grace we see in Jesus is a window into the Father's heart. This isn't just theological theory - it's personal revelation. The God of the universe has a face, and it's the face of Jesus, full of love, mercy, and endless grace toward you.

Bible Verse

"No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." - John 1:18

Reflection Question

When you think about God, do you see Him through the lens of Jesus's compassion and grace, or through other influences that might distort His true character?

Quote

If you want to know what God looks like, look at Jesus. When Jesus welcomes the broken, that's what God is like. When Jesus weeps at the tomb of his friend Lazarus, well, that's what God is like.

Prayer

Father, help me see You clearly through Jesus. Replace any false images I have of You with the truth of Your loving character revealed in Christ.

God In Flesh and Blood

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

May 10th Sermon, Day 2

Something incredible happened when Jesus came to earth - God didn't just visit humanity, He moved in permanently. When John wrote that Jesus "made his dwelling among us," he used a word that literally means "tabernacled." This wasn't coincidental language; it was a profound declaration. The same God who once met with Moses in a tent (tabernacle) was now walking dusty roads in sandals, sharing meals with tax collectors, and touching lepers with healing hands.

What makes this so remarkable? For the first time in history, people could see God's face, hear His laughter, and witness His tears. The invisible became visible, the untouchable became approachable. Jesus didn't come as a distant ruler issuing commands from a throne room. He came as Emmanuel - God with us - experiencing hunger, fatigue, joy, and sorrow alongside humanity. This changes everything about how we understand God's heart toward us.

Bible Verse

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." - John 1:14

Reflection Question

How does knowing that God chose to experience human life alongside you change your perspective on His understanding of your struggles?

Quote

John was saying that the same God who met with Moses in a tent now meets with humanity in a person.

Prayer

Jesus, thank You for not remaining distant but choosing to live among us. Help me remember that You truly understand every aspect of my human experience.

God’s Portable Promise

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

May 10th Sermon, Day 1

In the wilderness, when everything felt uncertain and the future seemed unclear, God gave the Israelite people something extraordinary - a portable dwelling place. The tabernacle wasn't just a tent; it was God's way of saying, "I'm not leaving you behind." When the Israelites packed up and moved to unknown territories, God moved with them. When they faced enemies or felt lost, His presence remained constant.

This wasn't a distant deity watching from afar, but a God who chose to dwell among His people in their messiest, most uncertain moments. Today, you might feel like you're wandering through your own wilderness - facing job uncertainty, relationship struggles, or health concerns. The beautiful truth is that God hasn't changed. He still desires to be present with you in every season of life, especially the difficult ones. Just as the tabernacle provided assurance to wandering Israelites, God's presence offers you the same comfort today.

Bible Verse

"So Moses took a tent and pitched it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the 'tent of meeting.' Anyone inquiring of the Lord would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp." - Exodus 33:7

Reflection Question

In what area of your life do you most need the assurance that God hasn't abandoned you?

Quote

The tabernacle was also called the Tent of the Meeting by Moses because it was the place where God met with his people. It was God's dwelling place on earth, if you will.

Prayer

Lord, thank You that You don't abandon us in our wilderness seasons. Help me trust that You are present with me, even when life feels uncertain and unclear.

Living in the Freedom of Finished Work

Sunday Rewind is a 5-day Devotional based on the weekly sermon at Resonate Community Church

May 3rd Sermon, Day 5

Deep down, we all know we fall short. We carry guilt, regret, and the nagging sense that we're not enough. This awareness drives us to temporary fixes - working harder, trying to be perfect, seeking others' approval, or even attempting to earn God's favor through religious performance.

But why do we keep running back to these exhausting cycles when Jesus offers complete freedom? The truth is, our striving can finally be done. Jesus' once-and-done sacrifice means we don't have to carry guilt He's already dealt with or exhaust ourselves chasing what He's already given us. Yet sometimes we grow casual with this incredible grace, forgetting the holiness of the one who saved us.

The challenge isn't to work harder but to trust deeper. Will you trust in the one who is able to save you completely? Will you stop trying to manage what Jesus has already conquered? This doesn't mean we become passive; it means we live from a place of security rather than insecurity, love rather than fear, gratitude rather than guilt. When we truly grasp what Jesus has done, it transforms how we approach every relationship, every challenge, every day.

Bible Verse

'Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.' - Hebrews 7:25

Reflection Question

What would change in your daily life if you truly believed that Jesus' work for you is complete and you don't need to add anything to it?

Quote

That means that our striving, it can finally be done. And that, beloved people, is good news.

Prayer

Lord, help me live in the freedom of Your finished work. Free me from the exhausting cycle of trying to earn what You've already given me through grace.